Photos Using New Filters: These two photos are my first attempt at using my new B+W Circular Polarizer filter and ND 400 filter. It was a cloudy day, I used a Canon 40D, an 18-270 mm...

White Wing Loc: Lee's Summit, MO

These two photos are my first attempt at using my new B+W Circular Polarizer filter and ND 400 filter.

It was a cloudy day, I used a Canon 40D, an 18-270 mm lens and a tripod. My setting was manual on both.

Image #4092 set at f/8, shutter speed 30, iso 800, focal length 76.0 mm, spot metering, auto white balance, scene capture auto.

Image #4094 was f/8, shutter speed 20, iso 800, focal length 59.0 mm, spot metering, auto white balance, scene capture auto.

I have never used filters before so please let me know what you think I should have done or not done or just let me know what you think.

Thank you

Erv Loc: Medina Ohio

I think they are very well done!! The water looks just right. If I had to say any thing, I might add just a little contrast to darken the greens a little. But I like a little more of pop in my shots. :)
Erv

White Wing Loc: Lee's Summit, MO

Erv wrote:

I think they are very well done!! The water looks just right. If I had to say any thing, I might add just a little contrast to darken the greens a little. But I like a little more of pop in my shots. :)
Erv

Thanks Erv, I will try to darken the greens a little and see how they do and if I like them better as I thought they were a bit mellow. I also like my photos with a little more pop and I tend to like them a little darken than most people do. Thanks for your feedback.

Erv Loc: Medina Ohio

:):)
Erv

Fran Loc: Northeast, United States

I like the second shot very much. Love the lush rich greens and softness of the water. Nice!

abby Loc: Tampa, Florida

Beautiful photos -

Tell me about the B & W polarizing filter. I have used a polarizing filter for enrichment of colors and blue skies, etc. but haven't used a B & W polarizer.

Are you using this like a ND filter - letting less light in so you can slow the shutter speed in brighter light conditions?

Thanks - really good shots.

White Wing Loc: Lee's Summit, MO

Fran wrote:

I like the second shot very much. Love the lush rich greens and softness of the water. Nice!

Thank you Fran, the second shot is the one I liked best of the two also, though I did make the greens just a bit more vivid after posting.

White Wing Loc: Lee's Summit, MO

abby wrote:

Beautiful photos -

Tell me about the B & W polarizing filter. I have used a polarizing filter for enrichment of colors and blue skies, etc. but haven't used a B & W polarizer.

Are you using this like a ND filter - letting less light in so you can slow the shutter speed in brighter light conditions?

Thanks - really good shots.

Thank you Abby.

To my knowledge the B+W polarizer doesn't do anything any different than the polarizing filter that you are using. It was just one that I chose from from reading about them and from personal recommendation. I left it on my camera (including an ND filter) when shooting the waterfall to help eliminate glare. I'm not sure if I really needed both filters or not but was reasonably happy with the outcome. I have not gotten a chance to use it with scenery that includes the sky yet but I am very anxious to! I'm not sure I answered your question but like I said...I am new to using filters and still learning.

Blueduck Loc: Maryland

B&W is a brand, like Hoya or Singray. It's a high quality CP filter.

abby Loc: Tampa, Florida

Blueduck wrote:

B&W is a brand, like Hoya or Singray. It's a high quality CP filter.

Got it - thanks

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

I think you will like the polarizing filter when you start using it outside. Not only will it darken a blue sky making the clouds pop but it will take reflection off grass and leaves to make them more saturated with green in summer and make fall colors so very rich. You can turn the filter to get just what you want. Do realize light direction greatly affects the out come. To see this put it on your camera and look through the lens completely rotating the filter seeing the results then turn 90 degrees and do that again. Repeat this until you have completely turned around. This will help you become aware or the effect and relate it to a picture you want to take. I tend to keep a CP on most of the time I shoot outdoors.

CanonFire Loc: Phoenixville, PA

White Wing wrote:

These two photos are my first attempt at using my ... (show quote)

I like the composition of both photos. A couple things I noticed when I took a look at the "download" images. Both photos have a lot of noise, is probably a result of iso 800. Also, I would have like to see a bit more brightness and contrast, which might be a side effect of stacking filters. Stacking filters does have a tendency to reduce contrast. Lowering your iso and changing your shutter speed and aperture to compensate would eliminate the noise and probably given you a wider range of lights and darks in your images which might have improved contrast and brightness.

White Wing Loc: Lee's Summit, MO

MCHUGH wrote:

I think you will like the polarizing filter when y... (show quote)

Thank you MCHUGH, I will certainly do as you suggested so I will have more of a feel of the affects of using the CP.

White Wing Loc: Lee's Summit, MO

CanonFire wrote:

quote=White Wing These two photos are my first at... (show quote)

Thank you for your feedback CanonFire. I'm not even sure why I used the 800 ISO but after seeing them I was quite sure that was why they just did not look that great to me. They lacked not only the brightness/contrast but vividness that I like to see. So do you think I could have gotten the silky water by using only the CR or only the ND filter?

Erv Loc: Medina Ohio

Most of the time just the ND will get you what you are looking for. The CP might have made the settings on the dark side. And that is why the ISO went so high.That is a lot of filters to have light go through. :)
Erv